


you picked me

by middleheads



Category: Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (Movies)
Genre: Cute Banter, F/M, Flirting, Fluff, Kinda, Not So Subtle Flirting, One Shot, Semi Established Relationship, Slow Dancing, They're So Married, Tina-Centric Work, War, Wonder Woman AU, but im sure we all agree that tina is the dom in their relationship, fantastic beasts and it's complicated, i just fucking love tina goldstein okay, i obviously have no idea how to tag this, its bad, its my first fanfic im sorry, newt would make the First Move, newtina, ok look, one scene from the 2017 movie, so let me live, ugh my feels, we all know that canonically
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-25
Updated: 2018-07-25
Packaged: 2019-06-16 02:54:02
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,779
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15427455
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/middleheads/pseuds/middleheads
Summary: Newt peered meekly at her from beneath his bangs.“Would you happen to know this song, Tina?” he asked slowly.Tina smirked rather sadly. “Yeah, actually, I do. It was my father’s favourite song. He loved music, he used to sing us to bed, he could play the piano… but every Saturday night he’d take us to go dancing. This was the song he put on most often. He’d dance with Queenie, and I’d dance with my mother.”She sighed and gazed longingly at the glowing pub.“You miss them, don’t you? Your parents,” Newt observed quietly.“I’ve missed them every moment of my life since they died,” Tina’s voice came out in a whisper. “I don’t think I’ll ever stop thinking about them.”There was a short, music-filled pause.“Well, then,” said Newt softly. He moved from her side to stand in front of her, and held out his hand. “I may not be your mother, and today may not be Saturday, but the least I could do is offer you a dance.”





	you picked me

**Author's Note:**

> hi so this is a newtina au i was thinking about for a while now. it's based off that one scene in wonder woman (2017) when steve and diana were slow dancing outside the pub, so i just imagined it in newtina context and MAN WAS IT ADORABLE. i based the title off a song that alison sudol (the actress for queenie) actually sang, and included the song in the story because it fits really well, so you can go listen to it on spotify or apple music if you have the time!! the version of it i imagined to be in this story is much slower and calmer, so i guess yall will have to use a bit of imagination if you know the original tune. also forgive me if my writing is pretty bad, it's my first ever fanfiction on this site and i hope yall enjoy it at least a little!! (leave a kudo or a comment or something, any form of validation or encouragement would be nice :))

Tina could not remember the last time anyone had won a battle against Grindelwald or his followers. She doubted there was even a time at all when anyone stood a chance against the dark wizard, but that gave her all the more reason to feel proud. Winter was upon the jolly mix of British and American witches and wizards, two days after their victory against a group of Grindelwald’s best fighters. Tina had led her own squadron into battle and managed to apprehend the dark wizards while sustaining very few casualties.

The wizarding troops had set up camp in an isolated, abandoned village around the borders of Paris, to restock their supply of food and water just as the cold season drew near. They also took a night off to celebrate their success.

There was a pub in one of the crumbling buildings of the village, where the wizards flooded with magical candlelight and a constant flow of Butterbeer, Firewhiskey and Gigglewater. There was a buzz of excited chatter and loud boisterous outbursts of laughter. Right outside was a large circular plaza with an empty fountain structure in the middle, surrounded by other strange, ancient buildings. A few witches and wizards were milling around the area, talking softly or enjoying their drinks in a more quiet environment. Tina and Queenie were one of those witches.

They were propped against the fountain structure, taking in the blissful sense of temporary freedom while it lasted, the icy wind rippling through their hair. It was snowing gently, which created a rather pleasant, serene view of a peace they could only wish to achieve.

Every now and then a fellow Auror or one of Tina’s colleagues would come by to congratulate her on her victory, either praising her, giving her a pat on the back or even offering to get her a drink, all of which Tina had politely declined. Queenie looked on in disapproval.

“Why,” she asked exasperatedly, after Tina denied yet another request. “Do you always reject ‘em? They just wanna reward you, Teen, they ain’t gonna poison you.”

“I know, but they keep offering me the same drink,” Tina protested. “It’s always Fizzing Whizzbees.”

“So what?” asked Queenie indignantly.

“So if ten strangers got me a bottle of Fizzing Whizzbees each, I’d have a pile of it I probably won’t even end up drinking,” said Tina.

“Why not?”

“Because,” said Tina, and hesitated for a split second. “I don’t like how it tastes.”

Queenie squinted curiously at her sister. “But you’ve never tried Fizzing Whizzbees before. It’s a British drink.”

Tina shot her a dangerous look. _Don’t read my mind._

Queenie looked even more suspicious. “I wasn’t going to.”

“Just drop it, okay?” Tina said blandly.

“You don’t need to read her mind to know why she hates that drink,” came the deep voice of Theseus Scamander.

The sisters turned to see his tall figure stride out the entrance of the pub and towards them, holding a glass of Gigglewater and two bottles of Butterbeer. Theseus was the general of the British squadron of Aurors, which made him the same rank as Tina. The war hero’s face was riddled with battle scars and unwanted reminders that various curses had left behind. His green eyes, which were usually darkened by the burden of war, burned bright with the spirit of victory for the first time in months.

“What’s brewin’, hot-shot?” Queenie teased.

“Shouldn’t you be in there jesting with your pals?” Tina asked smoothly.

“You two are considered my pals,” Theseus said innocently. “Am I not welcome to join you?”

“Don’t be ridiculous, Theseus, of course you are.” Queenie said and nudged Tina hard in the ribs.

“I was kidding,” Tina hissed.

“I brought you drinks, so you can’t complain,” Theseus announced and caught sight of Tina’s wary expression. “No, Tina, I assure you this isn’t Fizzing Whizzbees. This is Butterbeer. I’m sure you’re… familiar with it.”

Theseus raised his eyebrow suggestively and leaned against the fountain beside Tina. Queenie took the glass of Gigglewater and frowned down at it. Tina quietly accepted the Butterbeer and popped the bottle open.

“Buddy, you do know these come in shots right?” Queenie pointed out to Theseus.

“Oh, sorry,” he said, popping open his own bottle of Butterbeer. “I’m afraid you’ll just have to sip it, we don’t have shot glasses in there.”

“Anyways, what were you saying about Tina?” Queenie asked.

“Queenie, drop it.” Tina warned.

“I’ve heard you declined a fair number of drinks,” Theseus observed. “Most of the lads in there came back in looking quite upset. I expect a fair number wanted to start courting you after realising you could fight so well.”

Queenie looked aghast. Blood rushed into Tina’s face.

“I highly doubt that’s the case,” she said weakly.

“But then I realised that all of them offered you Fizzing Whizzbees as a drink,” he said, a little dramatically. “And everything made sense.”

“I just don’t like the drink, alright?” Tina said defiantly.

“I don’t drink Fizzing Whizzbees either,” said Theseus calmly. “For the same reason as you.”

Tina glanced down at her boots. Theseus looked a tad bit triumphant as he turned to face Queenie.

“I’m not sure if you already know this, but Fizzing Whizzbees are made from this creature called the Billywig. And as you may already know, my dear little brother is very protective of magical creatures, so he very firmly believes in the discontinued manufacturing of this particular drink-” Theseus explained slowly.

“Because Billywigs are important to the wizarding ecosystem,” finished Tina quietly. She seemed defeated. “They’re the most fundamental producers for the majority of magical creatures, so the more we make them our own delicacy, the whole environment is going to crumble.”

She peered past a curtain of her own hair to find Queenie and Theseus watching her, Queenie looking amazed and Theseus looking impressed.

“Don’t quote me on that. It’s just what Newt told me,” she mumbled.

Neither Auror could tell whether the laugh that Queenie let out was from too much Gigglewater or self-initiated, but _Mercy Lewis_ , it was loud. Passers-by stopped to stare.

“I knew it!” cried Queenie, “I knew it was a Newt-reason! It always is with you!”

“He had a point, alright?” Tina said agitatedly. “And lower your voice, people are gonna think you’re drunk.”

“So he let you try Butterbeer too, huh?” Queenie chattered excitedly. “What else have you two been up to that I haven’t heard about?”

Theseus looked just as interested as both him and Queenie blinked at her expectantly.

“Well, he just - he kissed me before he left but -” Tina began.

“He did _what?”_ Queenie gasped.

“On the cheek!” Tina added quickly.

Theseus wore a face of sheer pride as he chuckled, “My brother making the first move? That’s definitely saying something.”

“It’s nothing,” replied Tina firmly, although her cheeks were blazing. “Really, it’s nothing. Besides, we haven’t seen each other for… ”

Her voice trailed off into the abyss of the cold night sky. _For forever._

“Nonsense,” said Queenie. “By ‘forever’ you mean two months.”

Tina looked down at her boots and exhaled. Theseus grinned widely.

“You and my brother,” he said. “Are absolutely inseparable,”

“Yet here we are,” said Tina coldly. “Separated.”

“Yet here you are,” Theseus shot back insistently. “Groaning about how two months away from him seems like an age, looking miserable every time you step out of your tent, taking extra loads of work to keep your mind from worrying about him,”

Tina frowned at him and opened her mouth to protest, but Theseus continued.

“Yes, I know that’s the real reason, don’t bother denying it,” he snapped determinedly. “If you think about it, Tina, you haven’t really been separated at all. Not your mind, at least, and most certainly not your heart.”

Queenie whooped. “I couldn’t put it in better words myself.”

Tina scowled.

“You think whatever I’m feeling about him is affecting how I work?” She took three large gulps of Butterbeer, quite aggressively, finishing the bottle and then glaring hard at Theseus. “I just saved all our asses here today _looking miserable.”_

Theseus returned a knowing smile, “You are perfectly capable of saving the entire wizarding world even if you felt far worse than miserable. I know it, and Newt knows it.”

Tina gave a small, sad shrug, as if she didn’t believe him. “Oh yeah?”

“Oh yeah,” Theseus paused, finished his bottle and looked Tina right in the eye as he added, “That’s why he loves you.”

Then he turned on his heels, leaving Tina with her mouth hanging open in astonishment, and stalked back into the pub. Queenie looked annoyingly gleeful.

“Y’know,” hiccupped Queenie. “You can tell me to stop probing, but I read his mind just as he left. He’s tellin’ the truth, Teenie.”

“Save it,” croaked Tina. “I- I don’t -”

 _“You_ save it, sister,” said Queenie, taking a dangerously large swig from her glass of Gigglewater with her gaze fixed over Tina’s shoulder. She seemed to be having difficulty trying to contain her excitement. “You’re too late. He’s here.”

Amidst Queenie’s drunken giggles, Tina whipped around in time to see Newt Scamander enter the small town square, carrying his iconic suitcase, his flyaway hair more ruffled than ever and his eyes circled with the lack of sleep. The very sight of him felt so right, and her heart was brimming with… something she couldn’t quite place. That was exactly when she realised just how much she ached for his presence when he was gone, just how much she’d been missing him, and just how true Theseus’ words had been.

“I’m gonna go get more to drrrrink…” Queenie coughed in amusement, “And give you two some prrrivacy…”

“No, Queenie, please don’t -” Tina started and grasped for her sister’s hand, but Queenie pulled away, giggling and stumbling towards the pub.

“Don’t drink too much!” Tina called after her.

Queenie turned, still walking, and shot her sister a wink. “Good luck!”

Tina cringed inwardly and glanced hastily in Newt’s direction.

Her heart leapt into her mouth when he turned, caught sight of her, and smiled widely. His once-evident fatigue vanished the moment his lips curved upwards, suddenly making his features shine with youth. Tina managed to flash him a small grin from her spot across the plaza, and waved tentatively. Once again she fixed her gaze on her boots, but within a split second’s hesitation, she looked back up, and was alarmed to see Newt approaching her with an equally panicked expression, as if he were surprised at himself for moving towards her.

Newt stopped around three feet before her, and looked as if he didn’t know quite what to say.

“You’re back,” said Tina, finding her voice at last. She couldn’t stop smiling. _You idiot,_ she thought to herself.

“I’m back,” echoed Newt. He too, seemed to be having trouble wiping the grin off his face. “It’s been a while.”

“Hasn’t it?” Tina breathed, a wave of deja vu slamming into her. An image of the New York Harbour floated into view of her mind’s eye. She brushed it away.

“I… suppose I’ve missed quite a lot of things, haven’t I?” Newt chuckled, looking briefly around the square, where witches and wizards were discussing the day’s battle.

“Yeah,” Tina smirked, looking down at her (slightly quivering) fingers, then back at him. “Yeah, a couple things,”

A short pause in which Newt moved to lean against the fountain beside her and set his case on the ground.

“I heard about what you did today,” said Newt, with a twinge of pride in his voice.

“Oh,” said Tina, strangely breathless.

“It was extremely brave of you, what you did,” he continued earnestly. “I don’t think I know anyone who has just as much capability and courage as you do, so…”

Newt hesitated.

“It’s brilliant - you’re brilliant,” he finished, cast her a rather frenzied glance and hid behind his fringe.

“I’m flattered,” she said with a tight-lipped smile. “That is officially the first compliment I’ve got that doesn’t come in the form of drinks.”

“Really?” asked Newt, looking up, seemingly intrigued. He glanced around her and gestured to the empty Butterbeer bottle. “You’ve only got one, though.”

“Oh, this?” Tina gave a small laugh. “No, your brother got me this. Everyone else got me Fizzing Whizzbees, so I declined. You’d know why,” she explained, shooting him a knowing look.

“Ah. Yes. That,” Newt recalled with a smile. “I’m glad you took that into consideration,”

“Of course,” she said.

Seconds of silence drifted past. Tina fiddled mindlessly with the Butterbeer bottle.

“How’s the job?” she asked, suddenly remembering that Newt had been called away in the first place for a mission from Dumbledore. “Dragons again?”

“Oh, no, not this time, unfortunately,” Newt replied quickly. He seemed downcast at the very fact itself. “But on the other hand, it still has to do with a particular magical beast,” he added with a small, secretive grin.

“Very mysterious, Mr Scamander,” Tina teased. “I’m gonna go ahead and assume that it’s classified so you won’t tell me.”

“You assume correctly,” Newt admitted. His wistful expression returned to his eyes. “I really wish I could tell you about it. I think you’d have liked the case. If you hadn’t been too busy leading your own group of Aurors into important battles, I daresay you would’ve joined me.”

“Yeah, I would,” Tina sighed. “But I’m sure Professor Dumbledore has his reasons to keep it between you two.”

“Yes, I suppose he does,” Newt admitted. “A shame, though, don’t tell him I said that.”

Tina laughed. “Mum’s the word,”

Suddenly, a lovely melodic tune came floating out from within the pub, played on a piano and accompanied by a sweet, silvery voice belting out the lyrics. Three notes in and Tina recognised the song immediately.

 _**“One, two, three** _  
_**Counting out the signs we see** _  
_**The tall buildings** _  
_**Fading in the distance** _  
_**Only dots on a map** _  
_**Four, five, six** _  
_**The two of us a perfect fit** _  
_**You're all mine, all mine”** _

“What is that?” asked Newt.

“I think,” said Tina incredulously, “That’s Queenie.”

Newt turned to face Tina, looking just as amazed.

“I know,” she said, acknowledging his surprise. “Queenie hasn’t sang for months, and the last time I saw her, she was drunk.”

“Considering today’s victory I think she has a rather valid excuse,” Newt said with a smile.

“Yeah, I guess you could say that…” Tina murmured.

Newt peered meekly at her from beneath his bangs.

“Would you happen to know this song, Tina?” he asked slowly.

Tina smirked rather sadly. “Yeah, actually, I do. It was my father’s favourite song. He loved music, he used to sing us to bed, he could play the piano… but every Saturday night he’d take us to go dancing. This was the song he put on most often. He’d dance with Queenie, and I’d dance with my mother.”

She sighed and gazed longingly at the glowing pub.

“You miss them, don’t you? Your parents,” Newt observed quietly.

“I’ve missed them every moment of my life since they died,” Tina’s voice came out in a whisper. “I don’t think I’ll ever stop thinking about them.”

There was a short, music-filled pause.

 _**“And all I can say** _  
_**Is you blow me away”** _

“Well, then,” said Newt softly. He moved from her side to stand in front of her, and held out his hand.

“I may not be your mother, and today may not be Saturday, but the least I could do is offer you a dance. For victory’s sake,” Newt blurted out, and cast her a nervous glance before adding, “Only if you’d like, of course, you don’t have to-”

Tina had already taken his outstretched hand. She drew herself closer to him and was suddenly aware of the constellation of freckles strewn across his face. She was hit with the urge to reach up and trace them, but instead her gaze was caught in his deep green eyes lingering there for a precious few seconds. Both were drinking in the sight of each other up close, utterly fascinated by the slight dimples and curves and imperfections of facial detail.

She slowly wound her other arm around Newt’s neck, and he slid his hand carefully into place on her hip. Tina felt a pleasant chill crawl up her spine and knew that it had nothing to do with the cold weather. Both their faces were the colour of beetroot, and eye contact had long since been lost, but the music gradually began to ease them into a spontaneous, synced movement.

**_“Like an apple on a tree_ **   
**_Hiding out behind the leaves_**   
**_I was difficult to reach_**   
**_But you picked me”_**

This wasn’t the type of dancing Tina remembered. She could remember her Momma twirling her and dipping her, in a frenzy of giggles. The way Newt danced was just… swaying. It wasn’t a bad thing, though. Tina quite liked it. It was peaceful, and it made her feel stable. Like there was something in her life she could hold onto, a foundation that wouldn’t break for all eternity.

“I’m sorry if this wasn’t what you expected,” Newt said sheepishly, as if he could sense her thoughts. “I haven’t danced in a very long while.”

“No, no, it’s alright. I’m a little rusty myself, so… this is fine,” replied Tina, before cocking her head challengingly, “For now.”

“For now?” Newt inquired.

“Yeah, _for now,”_ Tina grinned. “When all this is over, I’ll take you to a real dance. Show you how it’s really done.”

“How it’s really done?” Newt raised an eyebrow playfully. “Are you questioning my preferred method of dancing, Ms Goldstein?”

“What if I am, _Mr Scamander?”_ Tina laughed quietly and leaned an inch closer. “You’re the one who said you haven’t had any practice lately.”

“So is that what this is, then? Practice?” Newt asked with a smirk.

“It could be,” Tina shrugged. “Where’d you learn to dance in the first place?”

“My mother,” explained Newt. “When I was younger my parents used to host balls and galas at our family’s home, inviting relatives I never knew I had. I was forced to dance with people I barely even knew.”

His expression darkened slightly, “It was disastrous. I was disastrous.”

He let out a wry, breathless chuckle. Tina watched him carefully.

“For one, I was an awful dancer, and I’m merely hopeless at communing with other humans so you can imagine-”

“Hey,” Tina interrupted sharply. “You are not disastrous. Yeah, dancing may not be your strongest suit but that doesn’t matter. If people… can’t see past that and into your heart of gold,”

She prodded his chest playfully. “Then they’re blind, and they don’t deserve you.”

Newt grinned shyly and bowed his head. At this point they were so close that the action brought their foreheads together.

 _**“Like a shell upon a beach** _  
_**Just another pretty piece** _  
_**I was difficult to see** _  
_**But you picked me** _  
_**Yeah you picked me”** _

Tina could smell the faint aura of firewood and canvas radiating off him. She was overwhelmingly aware of a stray snowflake that had fallen onto her eyelash; she closed her eyes as Newt reached up and gently thumbed it away. The music grew in her ears. Queenie’s voice.

_He’s tellin’ the truth, Teenie._

And then it was as if the melody seized her with invisible tentacles to take absolute control of her body, because the next thing she knew, she was ghosting her lips up to his, and something fluttery exploded in her stomach when they finally met.

The kiss was as soft as Tina had ever imagined it to be. It was so typically Newt, the slow, hesitant way he moved, his lips almost hovering, like he was scared of doing something wrong or something he’d regret-

And just as abruptly as it had set upon her, the musical tentacles unravelled, and Tina had all senses thrust back into her.

 _I’m kissing Newt Scamander._  
_But does he want to kiss me?_

Tina gasped and jolted away. Newt drew back as well, his fingers brushing over his lower lip, gazing at her like she was some exotic magical creature that bit him on the mouth.

“I’m sorry, I don’t know what I was thinking,” she stammered.

“Tina-”

“That was rash and selfish and inconsiderate, I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have-”

Her train of thought ran right off the edge of her mind as Newt silenced her, pressing his lips firmly back on hers. It was more insistent than the last one, like a seal on a letter. Her hands drifted up his chest to grip his coat lapels and his hands swiftly trailed up her arms to cup her jaw.

 _**“You got me** _  
_**Searched the sand** _  
_**And climbed the tree** _  
_**And brought me back down”** _

Tina could feel him undeniably smiling against her mouth, and when they broke apart again, the smile had reached his eyes.

“What’s so funny?” Tina smirked, and traced one of his dimples.

“Oh, nothing,” Newt said, but his grin didn’t fade. He took her hand and resumed their waltzing position. “I’m just happy.”

“So am I,” Tina replied. She never noticed how contagious his smile was.

Newt leaned in again.

“Do you have any idea how long I’ve wanted to do that?” he whispered.

The sheer amount of sincerity and longing his blue-green eyes held was so striking that Tina couldn’t help but kiss him again.

“Lemme guess,” she said, slinging her arms around his neck. “Two months?”

“Two years, Tina.”

“Oh.”

“I wanted to do it at the New York Harbour but I suppose I was unsure,” he said, looking bashfully up at the stars above them.

“Unsure of what?”

He looked back at her, a renewed sense of timidness in his expression. “Whether I deserved you.”

The statement was so genuine and straightforward it physically hurt for Tina to process it. It was such a miracle, she thought, that someone could ever be worth deserving. And even more so when that someone was her. The feeling was breathtaking and confusing in all sorts of ways; Tina didn’t know whether to thank him or punch him for making her wait so long.

“Huh,” she said instead.

“I still don’t deserve you,” Newt went on. “I probably never will, but I do hope we could give this - us - a try.”

“Us?” Tina mused.

She moved forwards and rested her chin on Newt’s shoulder. From inside the pub, Queenie lamented the last few lines.

 **_“I was difficult to see_ **  
**_But you picked me_ **  
**_Yeah you picked me”_ **

"Yes," Tina whispered. “I’d like that.”


End file.
